Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Pinoys in US offer to help athletes
IN TIMES of need, it can be expected that Filipinos come together to help each other—even in a foreign land.
The Greater Cebu Sports Organizing Committee (GCSOC), which will be sending a token delegation in the San Francisco International Children’s Games (ICG) 2008, was faced with dilemma of additional expense since there are four days in their 10-day stay that are not covered by the host city.
This would mean that the team will have to look for ways or even shell out additional expenses for the two days before and two days after the ICG, set to open on July 10-15. And already, the GCSOC has been tightening its belt as it shouldered for the airfare of the athletes and officials.
The organizers will only accommodate participants within the dates of the games. The Cebu team, composed of an entire football team, tennis and table tennis players, will be arriving two days before the competition.
Contracted
Yesterday, GCSOC head of delegation Allan Torrevillas was contacted by a Filipino-American community, who promised to help out in the billeting problems.
“A load has been lifted from my shoulders because we are assured that our players will not be squatting when we get here,” said Torrevillas, who is already in the US,
along with GCSOC director for professional sports Jun Gabuya, to attend several meetings with the ICG organizing committee.
Torrevillas said that he had first approached the Philippine Embassy, which then made the necessary arrangements.
“They are actually very enthusiastic about helping because this is the first time that the ICG is held in San Francisco and it is exciting for our fellow Filipinos to have kababayans join in the games,” Torrevillas added.
The ICG is an inter-city meet, which will be participated by more than 1,500 athletes from 100 cities representing 50 countries.
Venue
The events that will be contested in the six-day competition are basketball, gold, football, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field and volleyball. The venues of the games are spread between University of San Francisco and the San Francisco State University.
The Philippines will be represented by Cebu and Parañaque City. Both are backed by the Philippine Sports Commission. The PSC had shelled out P200,000 assistance for the teams, which covered for their uniforms. (MCB)
